The Importance of Giving
Wednesday December 19, 2018 | Filed under:
Growing up, I benefited from charitable people and agencies.
I remember when my disabled mom caught a ride with a neighbor into Columbus, Indiana, to file for welfare. Her pride was less important than her son. She let me open the first check: $12. Next was my first visit to a dentist (my Medicaid-paid fillings remain intact). We shopped with food stamps and ate better than ever. Holiday gifts for mom’s little boy were delivered by our town’s firemen.
Below is our original welfare card, along with a pic of me with my first “mobile device” – I was into technology even then! Every few years, I take out that card out and share this story around the holidays as a reminder of the importance of giving.
The U.S. is the most charitable country in the world. This year, individuals will give more than $410 billion to charities, more than 70% of total giving. During the holiday season, many organizations receive half their annual total contributions.
In the next few days, as you think about the gifts you’re swapping with friends and relatives, take a moment to consider a contribution to an organization of your choice.
Happily, I now work at a company and in an industry that makes caring an integral part of our values. Throughout 2018, ASI employees made generous donations of time, goods and nearly $30,000 in cash to about a dozen community nonprofit organizations. Colleagues donated nearly $7,000 for holiday gifts for families served by the local homeless shelter, organized a winter coat drive and raised $3,000 for the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House, which provides a place for families to stay in the city while their child is in the hospital.
And, generous members throughout the promotional products industry responded during times of great national catastrophes, like floods and wildfires, organizing fund drives and trucking much-needed goods to crisis zones. It gives me great pride to belong to such an industry.
My life, and I’m sure the lives of many people reading this, has been blessed by the generosity of others. No matter what we think about what we have or don’t have, we can often help others, whether it’s with a few dollars or a kind word or deed, like shoveling an elderly neighbor’s walk, dropping off a covered dish or inviting someone living alone to join you for a holiday dinner.
Nothing you give is too small to matter. Remember, that $12 gave me hope, food and a positive outlook about my future.
Happy holidays, everyone!
